March 28, 2008
From The Treasury: Spurgeon Answers Dawkins
Well, considering the fact that Spurgeon lived about a century before his atheistic compatriot, perhaps the title should read "Spurgeon Anticipates Dawkins".
Whatever the case, his thoughts on Psalm 14 ("The fool hath said in his heart 'There is no God'") are quite relevant in light of the resurgence of atheism in Western culture.
He writes:
Such fools as those we are now dealing with are common to all time, and all counties; they grow without watering, and are found all the world over. The spread of mere intellectual enlightenment will not diminish their number, for since it is an affair of the heart, this folly and great learning will often dwell together. To answer skeptical cavillings will be labour lost until grace enters to make the mind willing to believe; fools can raise more objections in an hour than wise men can answer in seven years, indeed it is their mirth to set stools for wise men to stumble over.
Having thus described the problem, he prescribes a solution:
Let the preacher aim at the heart, and preach the all-conquering love of Jesus, and he will by God's grace win more doubters to the faith of the gospel than any hundred of the best reasoners who only direct their arguments to the head.
Apologetics has it's place, but the best arguments in the world are useless if the Holy Spirit does not illuminate the darkened heart.
Posted by Andrew on March 28, 2008 6:04 PM.
Comments
Posted by: Pregador27 at March 28, 2008 10:36 PM
Andrew,
This rings true with my experience. The 'haters' need love, not facts. Along with what Pregador27 says, the drawing of the Spirit. And some will never come, never having been called. But we are called to 'call', and to speak the truth in love. Thanks for this.
By the way, R. Albert Mohler Jr came to DTS and spoke on this very subject.
http://www.dts.edu/media/people/?namekey=R_Albert_Mohler%20Jr.
Posted by: Gordon at March 29, 2008 12:42 PM
Subscribe via
From my Reformed perspective, this is so right. We do not argue people into the Kingdom, nor do they even decide to "join Jesus." God is the one who predestines those whom He has called. An atheist has no chance of changing his mind by the skillful argument of a Christian. It is truly, as you said Andrew, "useless if the Holy Spirit does not illuminate the darkened heart."
Muito bom irmão! Jesus é fiel!!